WATCH | Rotting whale closes Durban beaches

The rotting carcass of a humpback whale - weighing about 30 tons - which washed up near Umdloti on the KwaZulu-Natal north coast on Monday has forced the closure of bathing beaches in the area.

The whale‚ understood to be an adult‚ was first spotted in the early hours of Monday.

The Umhlanga Urban Improvement Precinct‚ via their Facebook page‚ reported that a bathing ban on Umhlanga beaches had been put in place.

“Please note that a badly decomposed whale has washed up…with the chum from the animal resulting in a bathing ban on Umhlanga beaches. As soon as the water has cleared‚ the beaches will be reopened‚” it read.

Chum‚ referred to as animal matter from the whale‚ would draw an increased presence of predators‚ such as sharks.

Jennifer Olbers of KZN Ezemvelo Wildlife said that the carcass was being removed by eThekwini Municipality workers. This‚ she said‚ was being done by cutting the carcass into sections and disposing of it at a landfill site.

“It is a humpback whale 15m long and is more than likely an adult‚ with the current placement of the whale making it rather difficult. The tide is coming in now so this process will probably carry on tomorrow [Tuesday]‚” she said.